Drinking to the fallen

[Pierre.Suave]

some of you that actually know me in person know that I was in the USMC. I never did anything important, never went to war, and never left the US. I did however make some very good friends while in, friends that are now in Iraq.

I found out tonight that yet another one has died. I am not sure if the family even knows yet, so I will not give his name just incase his family is on this board, but this is pretty fresh info from the field.

I know some of you hate everything military, I am sorry you feel that way, I do not. I am proud to have served and proud of the men and women that choose to serve. They do not deserve to die in this war for corporate greed. A war, remember, started not by the enlisted men and women, or even by the majority of officers, but by the Bush Admin.

As I see it, the blood for this is on the hands of the democrats that refuse to do anything to stop the Bush regime. It sure isn't for lack of a good reason. I can not understand why the bastards (bush regime) are not in front of congress in shackles accounting for their sins and spending their nights in a cell.

anyway, before I truly descend into rambling, I will stop here and continue on with my bottle of Johnny Walker Black.

if anyone wants to join me, throw back a shot for a good guy that died because our elected officials at first were too greedy, and now to cowardly to do anything about it...

if you REALLY want to be mad at someone, be mad at our GOVERNMENT, REPUGS AND DEMS ALIKE!

[TheBaldyMan]

1. to absent friends n/t

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear jasonc..........

I too am angry about the war, and at the people who allowed it to happen.

I will raise a glass to your lost friend......

And to all the young men and women we have lost in this useless, senseless and extremely illegal war.......

The waste and loss of human lives on both sides is horrifying.......:grr:

[w8liftinglady]

3. Jason-I'm there with you,bro-

if you're bored,and want to read my outrage..
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2007/03/08/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/00-letter-dawson.txt
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2007/03/02/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/00-letter-dawson.txt
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2007/01/31/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter4.txt
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2007/01/03/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter2.txt
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2006/12/26/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter5.txt
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2006/10/25/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/3letter3.txt
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2007/02/20/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter4.txt
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2007/02/07/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter6.txt

[KitchenWitch]

4. I am truly sorry for your loss, and all of our losses!

I do not drink alcohol, but I will lift a glass of juice to toast your friend and all of our fallen soldiers, who are following the orders of mad men.

:hug:

:cry:

How many more, Mr. pResident, how many more?

[Maddy McCall]

5. Very sorry for your loss, jason.

:hug:

I'm not having any alcohol tonight, but I'll tip my OJ to your friend.

[crim son]

6. Some day, when you are not grieving and not drinking

you will tell me why a person would join the military. I don't understand and I want to.

I am sorry you are sad, jasonc.

[Pierre.Suave]

7. I still dont know why I did

other than I was young and wanted to prove myself to my parents, an uncle that had been in, and the world. I am sure part of it was rebellion against my parents as well as I did not have a lot of other options other than some boring job. To say I did horribly in HS would be an understatement. My HS GPA was a whopping 1.7 on a 4 scale so I sure was not going to college at the time.

Plus, to a young man, it sounds like so much fun, I certainly didn't do it because I wanted to kill anyone. Nowhere else I know of will let me do the things I did while in the Marines. I also would not trade the experience for anything.

At the time, ironically, I did not join to get money for college either. I joined for the adventure, to prove myself worthy of something special, and for the glory and girls...reality is different of course, there is little glory and not a lot of girls I dared go near...;-) The reason I say that it was ironic that I did not join for college money is that it is the Marine Corp I credit with focusing my energy and directing it towards a goal allowing me to succeed in college. I did poorly in HS but I excelled in college, I give the Marines the credit for that.

yes, I was a bit older when I went, but that only meant I was popular when someone underage wanted beer...lol.

Part of me wants to be there right now, with those men in Iraq. If I had not hurt myself badly on a motorcycle, I would still be in, and through ROTC by now which would put me as a platoon leader in Iraq. Honestly, I can think of no greater honor than being deemed worthy of respect by the Marines I would have been leading in combat. I also think that I would have been able to make some small positive impact on the Iraqis. I don't know, it may be wishful thinking.

anyway, I am a bit drunk now and this is probably all barely coherent rambling (thank god for spell checking) I will write up something later when sober.

[crim son]

8. No need.

You explained it perfectly.

Thank you, jasonc. On edit: oh, and perfectly coherent. I often make use of the spellcheck myself, ever since Aristus pointed it out. :hug:

Sorry you are sad. We are sad too, we DUers.

[trof]

14. Similar military experience here.

Pretty much the 'Went in a boy, came out a man' cliche'.
Never took high school very seriously.
Managed to make it into state U. and flunked out twice.
I was your basic 'good-time' frat boy.

As an air guard troop I was able to get into USAF pilot training. That was a year long program and when I came out I was a changed (MUCH for the better) person.

This was back in the days of the draft and I still think some kind of mandatory service would be good.

[SeattleGirl]

9. A toast to your lost friend, jasonc

And to all the others who have been lost in this hellish war. :toast:

[DainBramaged]

10. I have a nice story from today when I went to the theater for "300"

While I was waiting on line for snacks, 6 Army regulars came in from Picatinny Arsenal to catch a movie. And just like in that wonderful Budweiser commercial of a few years ago, people started applauding and shaking their hands. I was proud to do the same.

They don't want to be in Iraq, they are just doing their duty. I only hope their duty ends soon.

[rockymountaindem]

11. My condolences n.t.

[wildhorses]

12. it is a sad thing

and i am sorry for your loss

[Pierre.Suave]

13. This will probably sound really weird to you

but, I am ashamed I was not there, and that the ONE thing I CAN do to try and stop this craziness, voting, doesn't seem to have worked. Even though we have a Dem congress.

[Pierre.Suave]

15. Thank you all for your replies

I appreciate them.

It is high time our elected Dem majority did something to end this war, and do it soon and for good.

[guitar man]

16. Old Devil Dog here

I'll drink one to your friend and one to every mother's son stuck in that hellhole until they come home.

:beer:

[Pierre.Suave]

17. Semper Fi

Thats a lot of drinking. Unfortunately, this is one thing I dont want to drink to.

[Ptah]

18. Here's to your brothers, jasonc

And thanks for the tip about Lavay. :thumbsup: